Very few of us, I'm sure. We'd be pretty poor martial artists if we were all a bunch of drunken brawlers. From this post and another I read posted by you somewhere else on here, it almost seems as if you think martial artists are under the impression we have some mystical powers or are superhuman or something.

When it comes down to fighting (and this is simply a piece of the pie that is martial arts), I have been told many times by quite a few instructors not to think you're not going to get hit in a fight. People get hit in fights. That is, however, why things such as body hardening are practiced. If you get hit thirty times a day in your floating ribs, the inside of your thighs, all those really painful places, lightly, for several months/years, after a while you can get hit pretty hard in those places without too much discomfort. The topic of whether or not this actually "stengthens" you is another topic, but there is no arguing that it at least gets you used to pain.

In regards to the other aspects of fighting taught in martial arts, there are of course thousands of different techniques taught by myriad different styles, but what they all come down to is if there is NO WAY out of a fight, to strike first and have the mental and physical know-how to be able to do that. Mushin, or mind-no-mind, is the goal of anyone in a fight; to be able to turn off your brain and let instinct take over. Saving those split seconds of "he'll punch, and I'll block," is crucial in a fight. Some people don't have this problem and simply rage in the moment. Not all people by far, though, and the only way to learn to achieve mushin voluntarily is through constant practice, just the same as a jazz musician practicing licks and scales. When it comes time to gig, they achieve mushin and don't even know it. They are simply alive in the moment.

Failing that, martial arts teaches you to strike harder than the other guy, and where to strike for maximum effectiveness.

The backbone for all that, however, is the confidence martial arts instills within you. If you know you're going to win before you throw down, generally either a) you win, for the mind is a powerful thing, or b) your opponent reads that you are not only unafraid, but sees that confidence in you, and decides it's not worth his time. I have personally seen this effect many, many times. I'm sure you have as well. You don't need to train in martial arts to achieve it, either, but for many people who don't naturally have that self-confidence, martial arts is a truly beautiful way to cultivate it. And if you know you're going to win, why bother fighting at all? All that is accomplished is one way or another, someone gets hurt for what is generally a very stupid reason.

To try to give you an understanding of where I am coming from, here is my dojo kun, or law, you could say:

This is repeated at the end of every class after meditation with a calm, clear, empty mind, and carried with us throughout our daily lives. Mushin can be applied to nearly anything, and who doesn't need self confidence? This is not about being smug, starting fights, being a bully. If I can look a fight in the face and walk away, I know I am the better man for it, and win before it begins. This is karate. This is martial arts.

I think your question has been fully answered above. I'll just say this in response to your two posts on this forum. Dedicated Martial Artists are not superhuman, they are just ordinary people who seek to and in some cases have attained the ability to discipline their minds and bodies and in so doing increase their potential over the untrained man. Physicaly they should have the skills to win if properly taught and diligently practiced. Mentaly, they should not lack "bottle" as you refer to it because from martial training springs confidence, self awareness and control. These two together should be more than enough for the average "dustup" as you put it. Many people practice martial arts,throw their arms and legs about once a week and yes would most likely get battered in a street/bar confrontation with their "bottle" dripping down their leg. It would be a mistake I feel however, to assume from talking to and quizzing the majority of "recreational" martial artists that all practicioners are liable to "bottle it" or get thrashed by a man on the street who is thought of as a bit "hard" -whatever that may mean....

#91938 - 01/03/0505:44 PMRe: How many of you have actually used martial arts in a fight?

Anonymous
Unregistered

some people might say that fighting never helps and i know that in most cases that is true. But i need some advise about 2 years ago i got beaten bad, by to blokes who where around 20-30. i was only 14 and did nothing and i was with two freinds and they ran, but i never got the chance becase they grabbed me from behind. now my freind has been threatened, his brother has been beaten up (not by the same people) and he wants to fight them. i know this is diffrent from my situation a couple of years ago but my freinds ran out on me and left me to be beaten. There is no way in hell im ever going to let that happen to anyone agian,hes going to fight them soon. im going to go with him, but do i stick with him from the start and fight side by side or let him handle it and help him if he needs it

#91939 - 01/03/0511:06 PMRe: How many of you have actually used martial arts in a fight?

Anonymous
Unregistered

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dazz898:some people might say that fighting never helps and i know that in most cases that is true. But i need some advise about 2 years ago i got beaten bad, by to blokes who where around 20-30. i was only 14 and did nothing and i was with two freinds and they ran, but i never got the chance becase they grabbed me from behind. now my freind has been threatened, his brother has been beaten up (not by the same people) and he wants to fight them. i know this is diffrent from my situation a couple of years ago but my freinds ran out on me and left me to be beaten. There is no way in hell im ever going to let that happen to anyone agian,hes going to fight them soon. im going to go with him, but do i stick with him from the start and fight side by side or let him handle it and help him if he needs it[/QUOTE]

I understand where you're coming from. Get some pepper spray (preferably a big can). Don't try to be a hero, lol. Get your friend's back, stay conservative, and if anyone trys anything, squirt their damn eyes out, lol.